Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon through Fri. The catalog is online at Minnesota DEED’s website; click on the links to find Publications Available and the Programming Schedule. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs, on the Internet at https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/ssb/rtb/ or on handheld devices via the SERO app (iOS or Android).
Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network. Call 1-800-722- 0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon through Fri with questions.
Access Press is featured on It Makes a Difference, 9 p.m. Sun.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/about/contact/financial-support.jsp
Chautauqua*
Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
How to Disappear, nonfiction by Akiko Busch, 2019. Essayist Akiko Busch reflects on how people seek to be unseen, in a world that craves attention. Read by Pat Muir. Eight broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 14.
Are We There Yet?, nonfiction by Dan Albert, 2019. Journalist Dan Albert asks: are Americans ready to accept driverless cars? Read by John Gunter. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27.
Past is Prologue*
Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Armies of Deliverance, nonfiction by Elizabeth R. Varon, 2019. Officers and soldiers in the Union Army believed they would be greeted with open arms as liberators in the Reconstruction South. Read by John Potts. 20 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27.
Bookworm*
Monday – Friday noon
Ice Cold Heart, fiction by P.J. Tracy, 2019. Two Minneapolis detectives investigate a brutal winter murder. Meanwhile the eccentric Monkeewrench cyber team investigates a multi-million-dollar computer attack. Are the crimes linked? Read by Neil Bright. 12 broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 15. – V
The Writer’s Voice*
Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
Bring Out the Dog, nonfiction by Will Mackin, 2018. Former Navy Seal Will Mackin describes his deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Read by Robb Empson. Five broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 15. – L
The Tatas, nonfiction by Girish Kuber, 2019. Journalist Girish Kuber tells the story of an Indian family of innovators, spanning nearly two hundred years. Read by Karen Ray. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 22.
Choice Reading*
Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
Before I Wake, nonfiction by Randall Bucek, 2017. Writer Randall Bucek presents a collection of stories that speak of his experience living and working in small-town Wisconsin. Read by Tom Speich. Three broadcasts; begins Thu, Jan. 16.
Under Ground, fiction by Megan Marsnik, 2019. In 1915, young Katka Kovich travels across the ocean to settle in Minnesota’s rough-and-tumble Iron Range. Read by Jim Gregorich. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 21.
Afternoon Report*
Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
When the Irish Invaded Canada, nonfiction by Christopher Klein, 2019. In 1866 Irish refugees in the US South, fatigued from the Civil War, plotted to win Ireland’s independence by conquering Canada. Read by Bonita Sindelir. 12 broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 28.
Night Journey*
Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
The Woman in the Blue Cloak, fiction by Deon Mayer, 2018. South African police captain Benny Griessel must unravel a horrific murder and the theft of a rare painting. Read by Andrea Bell. Four broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 21. – V
Give the Dog a Bone, fiction by Leslie O’Kane, 2002. Allie Babcock, a dog therapist with a flair for sleuthing, meets an eccentric millionaire who claims he killed his wife. He adds that his golden retriever Maggie is now channeling her spirit. Read by Isla Hejny. Nine broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27. – V
Off the Shelf*
Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
Storm Blown, fiction by Nick Courage, 2019. Two young people experience the fury of a superstorm that wreaks havoc on Puerto Rico and New Orleans. Read by John Marsicano. Eight broadcasts; begins Wed, Jan. 15.
Ask Again, Yes, fiction by Mary Beth Keane, 2019. Neighbors in a New York suburb become entwined through work, children, and a profound tragedy. Read by Jan Anderson. 13 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27.
Potpourri*
Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
Humour, nonfiction by Terry Eagleton, 2019. Literary critic Terry Eagleton contemplates the origins of humor. Read by Judy Woodward. Six broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 13.
Brolliology, nonfiction by Marion Rankine, 2017. The humble umbrella has played a critical role in world history– and not just by keeping us dry. Read by Diane Ladenson. Four broadcasts; begins Tue, Jan. 21.
The League, nonfiction by John Eisenberg, 2018. Sportswriter John Eisenberg tells the history of the National Football League, from virtual obscurity in the 1920s to its current status as a cultural powerhouse. Read by Jeffrey Weihe. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27.
Good Night Owl*
Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
Loki: Where Mischief Lies, fiction by Mackenzi Lee, 2019. From the Norse mythological realm of Asgard, young Loki the Trickster sets out for nineteenth-century London to investigate a string of murders. Read by Scott McKinney. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Jan. 27. – V
RTB After Hours*
Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
Laurentian Divide, fiction by Sarah Stonich, 2018. The absence of a respected elder plunges a small northern Minnesota town into an emotional search. Read by Mike Tierney. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, Jan. 16. – L, V
Suicide Woods, fiction by Benjamin Percy, 2019. Short story writer Benjamin Percy shares tales of beaten-down people, and how the wilderness impacts their lives. Read by David Zierott. 7 broadcasts; begins Thu, Jan. 30. – L, V
Weekend Program Books
Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth (L), read by Beverly Burchett.
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents The Clue in the Trees by Margie Preus, read by Therese Murray; followed by One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden, read by Pat Kovel-Jarboe.
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents The Poetry Remedy by William Sieghart, read by Scott McKinney.
The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents Iron and Water by Grant J. Merritt, read by Dan Sadoff; followed by Packinghouse Daughter by Cheri Register, read by Susan Niefeld.
All times listed are Central Standard Time.
Abbreviations: V – violent content, RE – racial epithets, L – strong language, G – gory descriptions, S – sexual situations
